← H8571 H8573 →

תְּנוּמָה

𐤕𐤍𐤅𐤌𐤄

tᵉnûwmâh

H8572 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נום to slumber, be drowsy, doze

Definition

A state of drowsiness or heavy sleep; physical sluggishness or torpor, often used in parallel with lethargy or lack of alertness. While frequently connoting literal sleep or slumber, the term can also carry metaphorical implications of inattentiveness or spiritual apathy.

Semantic Range

drowsiness, slumber, state of sleepiness, inertia or lethargy (literal or figurative), inattentiveness

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root נום (nun-vav-mem), which means 'to doze, slumber, be lethargic.' The noun תְּנוּמָה is a feminine form denoting the state or condition resulting from the action signified by the root: 'state of drowsiness' or 'slumber.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, תְּנוּמָה appears most frequently in wisdom literature (notably Proverbs) and poetic contexts, where it is contrasted with vigilance and industriousness (e.g., Proverbs 6:4, 10; 24:33). It generally denotes more than a brief nap, describing a condition of persistent drowsiness or habitual sleepiness, sometimes with negative moral or spiritual connotations—suggesting neglectfulness or the failure to heed proper warning. While in modern English translations it is often rendered as 'slumber' or 'sleep,' these may miss the sense of passivity, laziness, or heedlessness implied in some verses. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term is rarely used, and later traditions may interpret the word metaphorically as spiritual apathy or inattentiveness. The term should not be confused with שֵׁנָה (shenah, H8142), another common word for sleep, which usually indicates the standard physical state of sleeping, rather than the somewhat negative or warning-laden sense attached to תְּנוּמָה.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נוּם; drowsiness, i.e. sleep; slumber(-ing).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

נום (n-w-m) — to slumber, be drowsy, doze

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3241 יָנִים and Sleep-Place
H5123 נוּם to slumber
H5124 נוּמָה slumbering drowsiness

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8572-03 תְּנוּמ֑וֹת tenumot HNcfpa slumber slumbers 2
H8572-02 תְּנוּמָֽה tenumah HNcfsa slumber slumber-state 1
H8572-04 וּ֝/תְנוּמָ֗ה utenumah HC/Ncfsa nor slumber drowsiness 1
H8572-01 בִּ֝/תְנוּמ֗וֹת bitenumot HR/Ncfpa in slumberings slumberings 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8572-02 Psalms 132:4 תְּנוּמָֽה tenumah HNcfsa slumber slumber-state
H8572-04 Proverbs 6:4 וּ֝/תְנוּמָ֗ה utenumah HC/Ncfsa nor slumber drowsiness
H8572-03 Proverbs 6:10 תְּנוּמ֑וֹת tenumot HNcfpa slumber slumbers
H8572-03 Proverbs 24:33 תְּנוּמ֑וֹת tenumot HNcfpa slumber slumbers
H8572-01 Job 33:15 בִּ֝/תְנוּמ֗וֹת bitenumot HR/Ncfpa in slumberings slumberings
← H8571 Hebrew Lexicon H8573 →